FAQ

When can I read THE DEATH OF AN HEIR: Adolph Coors III and the Murder That Rocked an American Brewing Dynasty?

The narrative nonfiction book, The Death of an Heir: Adolph Coors III and the Murder That Rocked an American Brewing Dynasty, was recently published by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, one of the “Big 5” publishers in the world. It is available primarily in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada at various outlets, such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Books-a-Million.

Can you tell me anything about DEATH OF AN HEIR before I purchase it?

The Death of an Heir: Adolph Coors III and the Murder that Rocked an American Brewing Dynasty is a narrative nonfiction book that details the kidnapping and murder of Adolph Coors III, 44-year-old CEO and Chairman of the Coors Brewing Company and grandson of its founder. There also is an insert of 32 photos of Adolph Coors III, the perpetrator, the crime scene, evidence, and the trial. You can find an excerpt at Macmillan Publishing.

How much research did you do?

I am very proud of the investigative research process. I was extremely patient and methodical retrieving all facts that were discoverable. I interviewed the prosecutor and assistant prosecutor, a defense attorney, an assistant to Adolph Coors III for many years, a deputy sheriff, and others. I obtained contemporaneous newspaper accounts from the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post as well as other newspapers and magazines. I am particularly proud of the fact that I retrieved the 700-page FBI report after three years of wrangling with the FBI and the National Archives and Records Administration. Most of all, I am proud that I located the long-lost murder trial transcript after almost four years of intensive searching. The publisher of the book called my research efforts “amazing.”

Tell us more about your writing style. You say it is narrative nonfiction. Can readers expect something more than a dry, footnoted type of book?

Definitely. A reader will be drawn into the story and want to read more. This is not intended to be a textbook lesson. I employ literary techniques commonly found in fiction to bring the nonfiction story to life, such as the use of scenes and dialogue, peppered with actual quotes to make the story rise from the page . . . or HD screen. It will read much like a novel, yet will be completely accurate.

Why should I read the book?

If you enjoy true crime told in a suspenseful manner with short chapters that move you about in many directions rather than chronologically and that leaves you at the end of each chapter wanting to know more, then this book is for you. It’s an American tragedy that focuses on the wife and family of the kidnap victim while enlisting you into the FBI to identify and apprehend the genius kidnapper who takes the FBI on an international manhunt and remains elusive for several months before finally succumbing to capture.

Tell us about your next books.

It is a narrative nonfiction work of the same style as The Death of an Heir about the kidnapping and murder of another high-profile person that has not been written about in book form. It’s a harrowing story of suspense, greed, and cruelty. I know you'll enjoy it.